


Swords and Pearls

by y0ui



Series: i write so much ranboo content [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Big brother Dream, Canon Divergence, Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Dream SMP but with no drama, Dream Smp, Enderman Hybrid Ranboo, Fluff, Gen, NOW WITH A PART TWO, Ranboo - Freeform, Ranboo-centric, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, eh sort of i don’t completely understand what canon divergence means, most of this is written when i was running on little sleep i can do better than this i SWEAR, no beta we die, there is hardly any solid ranboo content and im here to fix that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/y0ui/pseuds/y0ui
Summary: The hunter froze in his tracks, holding his breath to silence his surroundings as much as possible so he could hear the enderman as clearly as possible when it warbled. He's been low on pearls lately, so he needed to be on high alert and make sure not to screw this up.gr~rrk!Dream immediately snapped his head up at the passive and familiar noise of an endermen. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise and he took a step back."Ranboo?!" Dream exclaimed in shock and confusion, a little louder than he meant to.(or, a rushed oneshot of dream and ranboo having a #cool dynamic ...now with a part two!)
Relationships: (not romatic NOT ROMATIC), Dream & Ranboo
Series: i write so much ranboo content [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2130402
Comments: 75
Kudos: 1807





	1. Sword and Pearls

**Author's Note:**

> i caved and finally wrote some ranboo and dream interactions even tho they've hardly looked in each other's directions T_T i just care them, alright? lol
> 
> i usually write and edit and work on oneshots for several days before posting, but this time im going to write in one sitting! this means its going to be short, horribly made, and messy, but its alright. its been quite a while since ive written anything, so please excuse my rustiness and how rushed this is! 
> 
> also, ranboo is like 16 here (not i'm that im assuming that he is irl or whatever, its just easier to work with an age)

It always felt like night time on the SMP.

Dream liked that, he decided long ago. He liked the training and developing his combat skills against mobs, the cooler air, the lack of rush the pressing sun always gave. Nobody was ever out during the night, perhaps except for maybe Ant, but it was difficult to catch him during the night. Perks of being a cat hybrid, Dream guessed.

With a swing, Dream brought down his axe from up in the air, and watched as he landed his final hit on the zombie that had been creeping up from behind him. He didn't stay to watch the zombie poof into a small puff of smoke, leaving behind nothing but a potato. Dream's pockets were full and he couldn't be bothered to filter through them just to fit in a potato.

With his ax in one hand and shield in his other, Dream continued his stroll down the main path of the SMP. He let his thoughts wander as he walked, swaying side to side and picking up his pace whenever a skeleton tried shooting him or a creeper attempted to diffuse. Eventually, he reached a well-lit part of the SMP, and he slowed his pace here. Well-lit meant safety because mobs couldn't spawn, which also meant that Dream could properly zone out and slow his pace significantly. 

But a warbling noise caught Dream's attention. They always did. After all, endermen are uncommon and you could never have enough ender pearls.

The hunter froze in his tracks, holding his breath to silence his surroundings as much as possible so he could hear the enderman as clearly as possible when it warbled. He's been low on pearls lately, so he needed to be on high alert and make sure not to screw this up.

_gr~rrk!_

Dream immediately snapped his head up at the passive and familiar noise of an endermen. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise and he took a step back. 

"Ranboo?!" Dream exclaimed in shock and confusion, a little louder than he meant to. 

Ranboo, who had been peacefully standing on a tall wooden support beam that was apart of an unfished house, yelped and flinched violently. Caught completely off guard, Ranboo wasn't prepared to be startled by another SMP civilian this late at night and lost his balance on the beam, his lanky arms flailing around as he attempted to adjust his balance. 

"Ranboo!" Dream exclaimed again, but this time in a panic with a bit of urgency. He ran forward on instinct, arms outstretched to catch the other. He was _not_ expecting Ranboo to teleport mid-air. 

"Ranb–?" 

This time, Dream yelped when Ranboo manifested beside him and landed on his back on the grass. He let out a little "oof!" at the impact. For the millionth time, Dream called out Ranboo's name. "RANBOO!" Dream snapped, accidentally not being careful of his volume again, "What did you just DO?!" 

Ranboo, who was supporting his upper body with his elbows, looked up at Dream and could really only process the bad things that were being displayed right now through the loud alarms ringing in his head. That consisted of the angry(? he seems angry) tone, the volume of Dream's voice, and the way he was leaning over Ranboo, and how he had his ax in his hand and how he was getting closer and how he loo–

With a panicked, high pitched screech, Ranboo gave in to his instincts like he had done before (when falling off the beam) and teleported a few feet away from the man hovering above him.

This time, Dream just stared in shock, jaw dropped and eyes wide as he attempted to process what he just witnessed.

Listen- Now, _listen._ Dream whitelisted this Ranboo guy 'cause he seemed pretty cool and had a lot of potential to add great things to this SMP. His striking, half-and-half appearance wasn't a seller or anything but it seemed pretty cool. Dream never questioned why Ranboo was half black-ish purple and the other pale white, he just accepted him for who he was. But, now he thinks there's more to it.

"U-Uh-" Ranboo muttered out, eyes wide as his eyes jumped around. He was still in the same position as before, this time with an arm raised up in defense. He didn't have any armor on and if he was equipped with a weapon, he wasn't using it. 

Dream shook his head. No. He shouldn't be analyzing the other's defense right now, he obviously just sent this kid into a serious panic and needed to apologize for a couple of things that caused it. Slowly, Dream began making his way towards the other, slowly raising his hands in a sign of surrender. He chuckled gently, opening his mouth to begin speaking, but froze in his tracks when Ranboo showed no signs of calming down and shuffled back, distrust evident in his– Well, everywhere.

"I-I– Uh," The teen stammered, still not looking Dream in the eyes. He obviously didn't have any to look straight into with his mask, but they were still avoided. "Y... Your- Erm.. The– Your.. Um," Ranboo continued to stumble through his words, and eventually, his eyes landed on Dream's axe in his hand. Dream looked over at it, noticing how it was stained with the dust from the bones of the skeletons he killed and dripping with the mush and blood from the zombi-

Oh. _Oh._

Quickly, Dream stuffed away his axe and chuckled again, this time sounding apologetic. He felt a weight sit on his shoulders as he watched Ranboo relax fractionally at the action. "Sorry," Dream cringed, feeling guilty. Ranboo only nodded frantically, mouth in a tight line. Dream continued making his way over to the other. "Are you alright?" He asked gently, crouching down beside the kid when he was close enough. Ranboo hadn't moved since he had landed, and the tension in his frame did not go away.

"I'm okay," The kid quickly replied, eyes still displaying panic. Dream could practically hear the alarms in his head. "I'm not going to _hurt_ you," Dream scoffed a laugh, trying to lighten the mood and get the other to relax, but it seemed to do the opposite. Dream's smile fell. "Kid... I'm not going to hurt you."

Ranboo was silent, and Dream watched as Ranboo's shoulders slowly tensed as he stared up at Dream and had a debate within himself. Eventually, he let out a sigh, shaking his head and sitting up. "I'm sorry, it's my fau-"

"Stop right there," Dream interrupted. "No, _I'm_ sorry. Now, are you alright? Did you injure or tear anything when you fell? I have some spare bandages and food if you need it. And, uh, I also– Is something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

As if caught doing something wrong, Ranboo yelped (the sound merged with the sound of an enderman vwurp, but Dream ignored it) and glanced away for a moment in embarrasemnt. Slowly, he turned back to the other with an expectant yet confused look on his face. "Don't you... Want to know how I...? Y'know, how I...?" 

Dream blinked down at the other, watching as the kid began displaying nervous habits under his intense gaze.

"No, why would I?" Was what Dream replied with. "I mean, I think there are some things we need to discuss, but we don't need to do that now. Uh, back to what I was saying, do you need any food or bandages?"

–

Dream eventually found out that Ranboo was an enderman. An enderman hybrid, to be specific. Apparently, Ranbooh had been keeping that piece of information out of knowledge. When Dream asked why, he was surprised by the reply.

"Well– I'm half a hostile mob. The dynamic between civilians and mobs is "attack and kill mobs, no matter the cost!" and... Dunno, it doesn't feel right letting that kind of information go around. It could get twisted, and I could get hurt or something," Ranboo had explained, plucking at the grass beneath him in the field he sat in with Dream. Dream hummed in acknowledgment, watching a cloud slowly make its way across the blue sky. 

"But you displayed so many enderman-ey characteristics that one night. Do you just... suppress them around us?" Dream asked, glancing over at the kid, who was busy trying to make a flower crown with the vague instructions Nicki gave him a few days ago. With his bad memory, he forgot most of the steps and was winging half of it. He didn't look up when he shrugged and replied. "Well, yeah."

"Was it hard?"

Ranboo's reply wasn't immediate. "... Yeah." Dream noticed how the other slumped a bit when he began speaking again. "My throat hurts at the end of the day from holding back all my- my noises and stuff, and... I mean... There's more, but... Y-Yeah."

Dream frowned. He didn't like how a kid felt the need to suppress himself so much so that it caused him pain – on his SMP, too. Dream just.. couldn't allow that. But, Ranboo had said that he didn't want people to know, and Dream respects that. But, doesn't mean he won't make changes.

"You don't need to hold anything back when you're with me," Dream hummed, looking ahead at the sunset. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ranboo look up in surprise. "Really?" He whispered in disbelief. "You don't even- You don't know all of the other stupid, weird things I do."

Dream frowned at the last part of Ranboo's words. "Don't call yourself stupid," He gently scolded, "It's who you are. It's alright to accept that, y'know. And, of course, you can be yourself around me. Whatever makes you comfortable." The kid's smile from beside him was near blinding.

–

After that day, Dream found Ranboo hanging around a lot more. Whether it be helping with daily chores or chatting, or simply whatever, Ranboo was by his side. Dream watched closely as he noticed changes in the other. Little quirks and habits.

One time, Dream was organizing his chest room while Ranboo was excitedly rambling about a new project he had started with Nicki. He was sitting on top of a chest, crosslegged, and his hands were moving about to express his words with more impact. He was so caught up in his chattering, he didn't notice the little excited enderman noises slipping between his words, matching his energy. 

Dream didn't comment on it and simply smiled, turning back to his tasks.

-

Dream gasped quietly when he felt a weight push on his side. Looking down, he found Ranboo (who was chattering away literally just seconds ago) fast asleep and leaning heavily into the older. Dream faintly recalled Ranboo explaining that he never slept oftenn - mostly because he didn't need too, but also because he was half wired like a hostile mob so he was tense no matter what 24/7, something always nagging away at the back of his mind that he wasn't safe. Even if he was.

So... Having the kid fall asleep on him like this is a biggie, huh?

With a gentle smile, Dream adjuted the other so he was more comfortable and wrapped him up with his coat. Faintly, he heard the gentle humming of an enderman.

"Sleep tight," Dream murmured, patting the other's head.


	2. An axe and a stack of pearls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ranboo & Dream sibling dynamic oneshot part two. Just more general content of the two and the sibling dynamic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW?? I GOT SO MUCH POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON THIS??? i really did NOT see that coming but it means so much to me :D im not used to getting this kind of support lol, you're all so incredibly kind and sweet for commenting and for all the kudos aaaahhh ily all sm (;_\ ) 
> 
> so, as thanks, here is part two! it doesn't have a plot or follow anything (its generally connected to pt1 tho), its kind of a spontaneous oneshot where i just write what comes to mind
> 
> (i also came off anon - i posted this as, like, the 2nd ranboo centric thing on here? so i was anon in case i would get negative feedback. i definitely didnt, so im off anon now! ill be writing more ranboo content sO SMASH THAT SUBSCRIBE BU- *GUNSHOTS*)

Dream loved the night time on the SMP.

Maybe it's because he's a night owl? Maybe because it's peaceful? Calm? Chilly? Who knows. Who cares. Dream likes it.

Twirling his beloved axe around in his fingers, Dream shut his eyes and let muscle memory lead him down to the community house. He needed to stop by to grab some materials and drop off some stuff he didn't want. He didn’t go there often, mostly because he didn't need to or want to, but sometimes the time is right. He knew others like Tubbo and Quackity visited often, as well as... Punz? And Ant. Punz and Ant dropped off materials more than they did pick them up. Dream wondered how Punz was doing. It's been a while since the two had done some playful PVP, and Punz has probably improved since then. Dream should meet up with him soon. He should do the same with Niki, she–

Who was that?

Dream had opened his eyes to grab some food to munch on, but a figure up ahead on the wooden path caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks. From so far away, Dream was having a hard time figuring out who it was. He tensed, unsure if the unidentified figure was a threat or not. 

"Is that..." Dream murmured to himself, leaning forward a bit and squinting. He gasped when he realized who it was. "Oh, it's Ranboo!" The stiffness in his shoulders left and Dream finally reached into his bag to grab and eat some food. With a new, small bounce in his step, Dream began making his way towards the hybrid. But halfway there, and snack completely devoured, Dream had an idea. 

_I should surprise him,_ Dream smirked. After a few seconds of consideration, the hunter slowed his steps and began walking more lightly. He made himself smaller by slouching a bit but also stretched out his arms in preparation for his jumpscare. Dream was rather good at sneaking up and appearing out of nowhere, having a history for it from his manhunts and from his general status around the SMP.

While sneaking over, Dream thought about the sixteen-year-old. Their friendship sparked one night when Dream scared the crap out of Ranboo and Dream apologized as well as showed no signs of doing any harm. After that, Dream was told of some of Ranboo's hybrid quirks, and on a later date how he suppressed them very often for his own safety. 

(Dream recalls keeping an eye out for the suppression Ranboo spoke about once he heard them. Maybe he could help in some way? Maybe relieve some of the sufferings the kid went through? Either way, Dream felt compelled to look into it instead of ignoring it.

So Dream watched with a close eye and was surprised how often he caught things. He first noticed how Ranboo held himself around others - how he made himself smaller, made it so he didn't stand out, and how he always had his hands clasped together behind his back, void of any sort of item. If he ever held a tool or item, it was when nobody was looking, or when he was out of arm's reach of everyone else. Dream assumed it was so nobody would feel unsafe around him. Ranboo was also quieter, or at least in comparison to how he was with Dream. Whenever there was an instance where he would make some sort of enderman noise, he'd wince a bit. Another thing was Ranboo never, _ever_ discussed hostile mobs, death, killing, any of that sort. Dream also noticed the kid apologized a _lot._ He was so conscious of everything he did, aware of everything around him at all times (Dream figured it out from how his non-humanlike ears twitched at the sound of a branch snapping and flinching when something moved too fast for him to track.)

A final thing Dream noticed was that when his hands weren't behind his back, they were out and about and expressive. So expressive that you wouldn't look into his eyes.)

The masked hunter slowed to a stop about an arm's length away from the hybrid teenager. Dream listened for a moment, trying to hear what the other was doing, but all Dream heard was annoyed grunts and a hand shuffling through a bag. Dream's smirk came back to life as he raised his arms into the air in preparation. 

_Three... Two... One..._

"BOO!" Dream yelled, grabbing the other's forearms, and shaking him. The enderman hybrid let out a loud enderman-like screech, one that Dream had to fight down the instinct to react by pulling his sword out to, and the teen spun around and hit the other and shoved him, _hard_ (not out of anger, more out of instinct). Not only did Ranboo deal a great amount of damage with the hit, but Dream was immediately off his feet and on the ground on his back, the air knocked out of him for a moment. And then, the loud screeching moved locations, and Dream looked up to find purple particles where Ranboo once stood, and that the inhumane screeching was now behind Dream. Ranboo had teleported.

The screech immediately cut off abruptly but Dream didn't acknowledge it. No, he was too busy laughing his ass off. He had his hands pressed on his mask, muffling his laughter, and knees lifted a bit from the laughter making him curl.

All it took was one upset "Dream!" from Ranboo and Dream had shut up his laughter. He properly sat up and turned his body around and was met with widened Ranboo's widened red and green eyes, chest heaving as he heavily panted, shoulders tensed and holding his upper arms where Dream had grabbed him. He didn't look like he was finding anything funny. 

"Oh, jeez," Dream murmured to himself, bringing himself off the ground. He felt a bit of guilt weigh down on him. "I didn't mean to spook you so bad, kid. Are you alright?" Dream made his way over to the other, his movements slow and predictable. Ranboo exhaled shakily and shook his head. "U-Uh, that, that-" Ranboo's gaze bounced around, stress visible in every possible way. "I- is- W-What-"

"Are you alright?" Dream repeated, slowly. Ranboo snapped his mouth shut and shut his eyes, brows scrunching. He can feel a headache coming on. He's so sleepy, too. He hadn't slept in _so_ long and he was looking for a map in his bag to figure out how to–

"I'll be okay," Ranboo eventually mumbled. Suddenly, a high-pitched ringing went off in his head. That was the side effects of his screech. 

"I'm so sorry. Again, I didn't mean to spook you like that," Dream frowned, reaching out and placing a hand on the hybrid's shoulder. Ranboo shrugged, still very much spooked, but now he was a bit more aware and recovering. "It's fine, you-" Ranboo stumbled forward a bit and placed a hand on his forehead, his eyes going unfocused. Dream reached out and stepped back when Ranboo stumbled, silently worried. Ranboo shook his head again, but much faster, and raised his head back up. 

"You didn't me-" Unexpectedly, Ranboo stilled, then his eyes slid shut, passing out and falling forward. With a surprised yelp, Dream caught the other. "Ranboo?!" He blurted, holding the other and adjusting it so he was leaning into him and not falling to the ground. It was like a one-sided hug. 

Concerned and worried, Dream shook the other, trying to get a reaction from the hybrid. "Ranboo? Ranboo? What the hell just happened? Are you awake?"

When an arrow whizzed by Dream and Ranboo's head from a nearby skeleton, the older decided that they should probably get to safety. He picked up the other into his arms and began speedily making his way back home. The community house could wait.

–

When Ranboo woke, it was night time.

Not the same night from before, though. The next one.

His face was mushed into a pillow, and he had no idea where he was. Opening his eyes seem to start insinuating a headache due to the light around him (the little things being a hostile mob hybrid did to him), so Ranboo squinted his eyes shut. 

"Good evening," A familiar voice greeted cheerfully from beside Ranboo. 

"Dream?" Was all Ranboo replied with, voice scratchy and rough. Jeez, why was his voice like that? What did he do, have a screaming fest with Tommy again? But this time for, like, three days in a row?

"That's my name, don't wear it out," The older chuckled, plopping into something next to whatever Ranboo was sleeping on. If Ranboo weren't halfway to hell waking up right now, he would have scoffed and rolled his eyes at the annoying phrase Dream used way too often. "You want some water? You sound like you need it," Dream offered.

Ranboo replied, confirming his question, and Dream just chuckled again but more awkward. "Uh, I'll take that as a yes," He grinned, standing up and grabbing a cup of water from a nearby table. He turned back around and gently placed a hand on the hybrid's shoulder. "You're going to sit up if you're going to drink this water. I don't want it spilling everywhere and nor do you."

Ranboo groaned and pulled the blanket on top of him over his head. "Wait."

"Wait?" Dream echoed, holding in a laugh at whatever the younger was doing.

"Think'ng," Ranboo's muffled and scratchy voice said from under the covers. Dream's grin widened a bit in amusement. He placed the cup of water back on the table before sitting back on the chair next to the bed Ranboo was resting in. "What are you thinking about?"

Ranboo replied, and Dream awkwardly chuckled again. Why does he keep doing that? Is there something wrong with what Ranboo is saying? He just said that he was trying to remember. Whatever. Dream was weird. ... He means that in a lighthearted way.

"You passed out last night," Dream finally explained, fiddling with an empty cup mindlessly. With a small sigh, he placed it down on the table. "Took you over to my place, because I think you passed out from exhaustion." _And I wanted to make sure you were okay when you woke up,_ went unsaid. Dream didn't want to admit it.

"Oh," Was all Ranboo said. He paused. Blinked a few times. "Oh... Oh. _Oh._ OH. _OH!"_

Ranboo shot up, eyes wide. He ignored the pounding headache the formed from sitting up so quickly and turned to look over at Dream. "I remember!" The hybrid cried. But before Ranboo could continue talking, he broke out into an aggressive coughing fit. Quickly, he raised his arm and coughed into it, eyes squinted shut, brows furrowed and his free hand clenching the sheets under him in pain. Dream noticed and frowned worriedly, feeling a little helpless while watching the other cough. When Ranboo finished his coughing fit, there was a hand with fingerless gloves holding out a glass of water in front of him.

"Drink it," Dream said sternly, moving the cup closer to the other, "You sound like shit, and it'll hopefully prevent you from coughing again."

Ranboo grunted and picked up the glass and took a small sip. He had hardly tipped the glass up and had only taken the tiniest of sips before he broke into another coughing fit. However, Ranboo looked much more pained this time, curling into himself and his grip on the bedsheets much more of a threat to ripping them. 

"Am I crazy, or did that make it worse?" Dream sputtered. Or maybe it was the water? He took the glass of water from Ranboo, who was still coughing and examined the liquid carefully. He didn't do it for very long, though, because a pained whine from the teen in front of him distracted him. Dream looked up and found Ranboo curled up with his head resting on his knees, a hand covering his mouth and eyes shut tightly in what Dream could assume was pain.

"Kid..." Dream murmured sympathetically, standing up and sitting beside the teen. He sat in the same position Ranboo did, knees tucked in and leaning forward a bit. He basically mirrored the other. Leaning a bit more forward so that he was beneath the other's head and if Ranboo opened his eyes he would see him, Dream reached out and placed a hand on the hybrids knee. "Did the water burn you? I thought you could drink water."

Ranboo shook his head. "Did I–" He began, but quickly cut himself off by cringing in pain. Dream vaguely cringed with him. Ranboo lowered his voice to a whisper, and mumbled weakly, "Wha... What 'appened last n'ght?"

Dream hummed in acknowledgment and grabbed the messed up blankets surrounding them two and brought them around Ranboo's shoulders, giving him a soft pat when he was done. "I snuck up on you. I surprised you by grabbing your arms and yelling 'boo!' and then you screeched, turned around, hit me, then shoved me hard enough that I fell, and teleported behind me," Dream recalled, keeping a close eye on the other in case he broke out into another coughing fit, "You were still screeching when doing that, by the way. Then, you stopped, and I walked up and apologized to you and you passed out."

Suddenly, Ranboo's eyes lit up in realization. Dream waited patiently, not wanting to ask the other questions and strain his voice. Instead, he pulled the other closer, wrapping an arm around the other in silent comfort.

"'m not meant to screech 'n teleport," Ranboo muttered, making his voice as quiet and soft as possible, "'s not... 'm not s'posed... Uh, 's cuz I'm kinda human. Mixed w' someth'n else too, maybe that was 'hy i..." Ranboo trailed off, eyes trained on a piece of passing dust. He seemed to be collecting his thoughts.

Then, Ranboo spoke again but Dream didn't understand a word of it.

"You're speaking in another language, kid," Dream interrupted, smiling awkwardly. "I don't understand it. You've done it a few times now since you've woken up."

"I..." When Ranboo spoke, it felt like he was speaking against a cheese grater, so he just turned to face the hunter beside him and press his hand against his chest and mouthed, 'Me?' _Have I been slipping up and speaking in end speak...?_

"... Yes. You didn't notice?"

Ranboo shook his head no and looked away from the other, a bit embarrassed at the language slip up. Somehow, _somehow,_ Dream picked up on the embarrassment. Oh, good god. That can't be good.

With a coo, Dream reached out and wrapped the other into a hug (More like holding him captive with how his arms wrapped around the teen's torso and pulled against Dream). "You're such a dork. You really had no idea? Even when I just stood there awkwardly? You're really something else. Even Tommy would catch a slip up of himself doing that, and he isn't the brightest bulb." To add the cherry on top of his teasing, Dream lifted a hand up to mess up Ranboo's hair even more so than it already was. Doing this was _never_ not funny.

With a high pitched, enderman chirp, Ranboo struggled in Dream's grasp, wanting free of the little jail he was now in. He would protest with words, but he couldn't say anything without breaking out into a vicious coughing fit, so all he could do was make noises. Dream only held him tighter, bringing the kid closer to him before flopping down onto his back, bringing the hybrid in his arms down with him. There were muffled protests coming from Ranboo, whose entire face was forcefully buried in Dream's sweater on his arm, along with kicking and thrashing. Dream only laughed, rolling over to the side and laughed harder when Ranboo tried to use his free arm to try and peel Dream off of him. It was probably impossible, considering Dream's immense skills and strength, but it entertained Dream so he wasn't going to complain. 

Deciding that he wasn't quite done torturing the other, Dream grabbed the abandoned blankets and threw them on top of the enderman hybrid. But Dream didn't stop there. No, he (with a scary amount of speed) wrapped the other around and around with the blanket until he looked like a burrito. Two-thirds of the way into being wrapped, Ranboo had given up on fighting back and let Dream do what he wanted. 

When Dream finished his mini-project, he leaned back and grinned proudly. "I think I did a good job," He hummed, patting where he thought Ranboo's head was. Ranboo just sat there, still.

Hmm, that isn't very entertaining. Dream needs to fix this. 

Dream slid off the bed, smirked, and scooped up Ranboo in one attempt. Instead of carrying him like he did last night by holding under his knees and back, Dream just held the kid upside down. When Ranboo yelped and began making noises of protest again, Dream smirked. His amusement didn't last for long, though, because he forgot how insanely thin the kid was and Ranboo slid out of the burrito no problem. Ranboo fell onto the ground with a soft thunk, and with his few seconds of freedom, his hands went up to his hair to somehow tame. It had gone through so much - it started at the stage of a bedhead, then through a noogie, and now being inside that burrito. However, he wasn't free for long, because Dream crouched down and snagged the teen again to ruffle his hair one more time.

Ranboo cried out in annoyance, trying to grab Dream's hands and stop him from continuing his torture, but his attempts were unsuccessful. He was literally being forced to stayon the floor, which could be dirtier than the depths of hell, and it was _not_ fun. But he had no choice to whine and give in, letting Dream ruffle his hair until his split hair no longer looked split.

"I win," Dream claimed happily, a proud ring in his tone as he released the poor kid from his arms. Ranboo spun around, expression screaming, _'There was a competition?'_

Dream just laughed, standing up to go grab some breakfast.

-

After the whole event of sleeping over at Dream's place because Ranboo passed out in the middle of the night from exhaustion and overwhelming stress, Ranboo visited Dream's house a lot more often. Most of the time, Ranboo would talk on and on and _on._

("And then we– We knocked- The tower fell and it- I brought out my bow, and then the tower fell and it was _so_ loud and then– The tower was all, uh, it was..." Ranboo trailed off, looking up from his hands and over to Dream, who was curled up in a chair, resting his head in his hand.

"You're... Listening?" Ranboo whispered in shock, eyes widening. Dream nodded slowly, a little confused. 

"Why wouldn't I?" Dream asked, a bit confused. Ranboo's stories were interesting and he liked how animated his storytelling was. Of course, Dream would never say that out loud, but the information was true either way.

"Well, I mean... The stories are so... Boring. I over-exaggerate a lot. I move around a lot, too. I also- I _never_ finish a sentence. I make the stories sound so much more dramatic than they actually are, and–"

"Woah, hey," Dream finally interrupted, holding a hand up to get the other's attention and to stop his nervous rambling, "Slow down. You're not that bad, kid. You're entertaining, in a good way. Don't doubt or judge yourself like that, it's so... Harsh. I'll give you feedback if you ever need it, alright?"

Ranboo blinked at the older, slowly registering his words before breaking into a big smile. "Alright, got it! Do you have any feedback for me right now?"

Dream leaned back and tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm," he hummed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back down, "How about more Dream-centric stories, huh?"

Ranboo sputtered. "What?! No, shut up!")

There was this one time, though, Ranboo arrived with half-lidded eyes, drooping shoulders, and dragging feet.

He had knocked on the door pretty late into the evening. Dream was sitting at his kitchen table when he heard it. He looked up from his book, specifically one about cooking, and rose a brow. Nobody ever visits him, except for Ranboo, but he usually comes over a little earlier. Closing his book gently, Dream stood up and straight. "Who is it?" He called out cautiously. 

"It's Ranboo," Grumbled an all-too-familiar voice on the other side of the door. With a surprised hum, Dream looked up at the clock, then began making his way over to the door. "It's nearly eleven," He stated, unlocking and opening his front door. There stood Ranboo, looking as tired as ever, in dark blue pajamas. If Dream's memory served him right, the PJs were a gift from Niki. "What's up?"

"The sky," Was all Ranboo replied with, but his tone was dead of any mirth or joke. "Can I come in?"

Dream huffed a laugh and shook his head fondly before stepping aside and opening the door a bit more, allowing the other inside. Ranboo didn't hesitate to walk in, ignoring how Dream shoved his shoulder playfully. Instead of starting up a conversation, Ranboo made a beeline to the sofa and plopped down on the edge of it. Dream, who was locking the door, laughed.

"Well, gee, make yourself at home, I guess," The older walked over to the sofa, hands in his jean pockets while raising a brow at the other. Ranboo, who now had his knees pulled up to his chest, grumbled something incoherent in a language Dream didn't understand. With a light sigh, Dream plopped beside the hybrid, enjoying the way his impact made the other bounce a bit on the sofa cushions. If it annoyed Ranboo, he didn't express it.

"What's up with you?" Dream asked, bumping the other with his shoulder.

"Nothing," Ranboo mumbled, staring at the carpet in front of him, "Sleepy."

Dream rose a brow, keeping his gaze on the teen beside him. "If you're sleepy, why did you visit me? You're usually asleep by now."

Ranboo shrugged and plopped his head on his knees. Dream barely heard a muffled, "Couldn't sleep."

"So you came here to sleep instead?"

Ranboo whined, bringing his hands over his head. "I dunno. Do fish have tongues?"

Dream blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"What?"

"What kind of question was that?"

Ranboo looked up and squinted in confusion. "What... Question?"

Dream craned his neck forward a bit, raising his eyebrows almost expectantly. "The one about the fish?"

"What fish? I didn't ask... About a fish...?"

"Did you _forget?"_ Dream laughed a bit in shock. "Does that happen more often when you're sleepy?"

Ranboo shrugged again and dropped his head back on his knees. "I dunno."

Dream was having fun with sleepy Ranboo. Although he didn't really understand why he was here in the first place, Dream was getting some entertainment out of it. Possibly even an embarrassing story or two to tell later, or... Maybe somehow snag some sort of blackmail-type information...? Yeah, this can be fun.

"Sooo..." Dream hummed, innocently looking around. "What did y-"

"Do you have cake?" Ranboo interrupted, his tone (strangely enough) nearly sad. Dream froze, then slowly looked over at the teen beside him, who still had his head on his knees, still curled up with his hands back on his head. Dream hesitated before replying. "Why would you need a cake? Or want it?" Dream gave it a moment of thought. "Wouldn't it keep you awake with the sugar?"

"What will?"

Oh, Dream isn't going down this path again. "Nothing," Dream dismissed, leaning back into the sofa. "So, anyway, w–"

"Can fish hear?"

Dream shot up and whipped around to face Ranboo, who _still_ hadn't moved. "Stop interrupting me! How sleepy are you?!"

"I dunno."

Dream inhaled sharply and pulled at his hair. He's going to need a different plan because straight-up asking questions isn't working and isn't giving him good results. But when Dream glanced over at the teen beside him, who had lifted his head to yawn, he began having second thoughts. Ranboo looked genuinely sleepy. He was forgetting things left and right - which is never a good sign - and asking ridiculous questions that didn't make sense.

...Dream should really help him out. Internally groaning, Dream dragged a hand through his blonde hair before standing up.

"I have no idea why you're visiting me at this hour, and why you aren't asleep, but let's just get you to bed. I'm not having any fun anyway," The adult finally said, leaning down and shaking Ranboo's shoulder gently. Ranboo only flopped down onto his side, now leaning against the armrest of the sofa, and most of his body unfolding and exposing that he had fallen asleep. 

"Oh," Dream murmured, looking down at the teen's peacefully sleeping face, "Well, I guess he needed the sleep." _There's no way he's going to be sleeping like that, though. He'll wake up with a pain in his neck and super uncomfortable,_ Dream thought to himself. With a small huff, Dream reached down and scooped up the kid into his arms. He ignored how light he was, knowing that it was hard to be anything but thin when you're an enderman hybrid.

As quietly as possible, Dream walked over to his bedroom, where his bed awaited. With no hands, Dream had struggled to open his bedroom door, but managed to open it after several attempts using his foot. Cringing when the door swung and hit the wall behind it, Dream tip-toed to his bed and gently placed the teen on it. He then spent the next ten minutes getting him under the covers, tidying his room, and grabbing a cup of milk for the kid in case he woke up with a dry throat. Dream knew he didn't like water.

Dream glanced over at Ranboo one last time before he turned off the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *LOUD SIGH* I SPEDRAN THIS ONESHOT LIKE THE LAST ONE LMAO I WANTED TO FINISH IT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED SO THIS IS BAD IM SORRY THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF TYPOS IGNORE THEM I TRIED EDITING BUT ITS RUSHED AHHHHHHHH
> 
> ANYWAY, i have more ranboo-centric content planned! the type of content im writing will be similar to this style. there won't be much of a plot since those stress me out, so i just create chill interactions/content. they will have prompts and such, of course. but i just wanted to clarify! 
> 
> again, comments and kudos are so epic and cool so drop one if you feel like it!! its welcomed and so very appreciated :DD take care!

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS NOT EDITED AND I MADE THIS IN ONE SITTING I DIDNT READ THRU THIS SORRY IF ITS BAD  
> if anyone wants to discuss any more stuffs about ranboo, i'm totally willing and would love it!
> 
> kudos and comments are so very appreciated and genuinely make my day so feel free to drop one, i will love u forever :D<3


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